What No One Could Resist  Part 1
by Saved4EverAndEver
Summary: A little thing I came up with and continued! When Gaius's grandniece comes to live with him, she holds a dark secret about magic.  When confronted with it by her sworn enemy, she may have to make some ghastly choices. Pairings: Arthur/Gwen & OC/OC
1. Prologue

Prologue

A cloaked man turned out of the room of the small village home. Bowing in respect to the elderly woman sitting on a hard chair in the front room, the man shook his head sadly. "There was nothing I could do for him. He was practically gone before I arrived."

The elderly woman nodded curtly, little emotion in her face.

"I am deeply sorry for your loss," the doctor continued.

The woman waved it off. "Don't be. He was only my son-in-law." She started to cough.

Raising his eyebrows, the doctor pushed further. "Ma'am, at the risk of being forward, I recommend that your granddaughter is either sent away or you bring a more healthy individual to help care for her. You are in no condition to care for a fifteen-year-old girl, especially in this depressed state she's in."

The elderly woman stood gingerly and leaned forward to peek through the cracked doorway into the bedroom. A young brunette lay on top of her father, seeming to be asleep across her dead father. She grunted. "I suppose your right Wintlock. She ought to be sent away." Another coughing spell came upon her and lasted a minute longer than the last. "And soon."

Wintlock nodded. "Do you have any family she could go to?"

Shaking her head the woman scoffed. "My last family was my daughter."

Confused, Wintlock opened his mouth to speak. "What about your granddaughter?"

She rolled her eyes. "Think what you wish."

The young girl stirred atop her father and the doctor and her grandmother scuttled away from the door as silently as possible. "Where would you like my servant to take her? To Bayard's castle?"

"No. She has only one family member left." The grandmother hacked one more time before sinking into a chair. "Take her to Camelot."


	2. Merlin

Merlin

Someone banging on the door in middle of the night is not what I want to wake up to. What did I forget to do? "Gaius?" I call, attempting to get up out of bed. I end up on the floor. "Ow…" I crawl to my bedroom door and reach it just as Gaius is lighting a candle.

"What did you do Merlin?" he asks me, frowning.

"Wha-wha…why do you think it was me?" I stumble down the stairs into the main room. "Maybe it was you this time."

"Not likely," Gaius answers shortly, turning toward the door. The banging continues. "Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Gaius steps quickly toward the door and opens it. Surprisingly, it's not Arthur or a knight of Camelot or even Lord Agravaine. I stride to Gaius's side as quickly as I can, even though I knock over a couple buckets and glasses on my way.

"Who are you?" Gaius inquires.

The man at the door pulls his cloak hood back to reveal a stranger. "I've brought a young girl for you."

Gaius and I exchange glances. His is almost accusing, and I am almost offended. "But I didn't…order…a girl," Gaius says slowly, choosing his words as carefully as he can.

The man chuckles deep in his belly. "Oh, that's not what I meant. I've brought you young Adrianna, daughter of Thomas from Bayard's kingdom." I see Gaius's face change expressions…to a look of shock.

The man reaches behind him and pulls a young girl in an oversized cloak forward. She looks sad, almost like she doesn't want to be here. Gaius reaches out his hand to gently touch her face. She pulls away, her face not changing expression. I feel almost frightened, she looks a little too much like the Lamia we came across a few weeks ago. I still shiver at that memory.

"Adrianna, this is your great-uncle Gaius. You'll be living with him from now on," the man says, pushing her forward.

Adrianna looks back at him and then at Gaius. She doesn't say anything for a few minutes. Finally, she says, "Send word to my grandmother that I've made it here safely." Wow, she speaks like a noble! I sure hope she's not; I'm already servant to one!

The man nods. "I will do that Miss Adrianna. Would you like to send anything else for your grandmother?"

Adrianna shakes her head. "No, that will be all. Thank you Doctor Wintlock."

Wintlock smiles sadly at her and nods. "You're welcome Miss Adrianna." Then he's gone.


	3. Adrianna

Adrianna

After Doctor Wintlock leaves, I turn to look at my new family. "Hello," I greet my great-uncle Gaius. He seems to be in shock. I step past him a few steps before turning back to him. "Where is the barn? I would like to go to bed." Whenever Grandmother was angry with me she'd force me to stay with the pigs and horses in the barn. I'd gotten used to the smell and the bed of hay.

The tall skinny man beside Uncle Gaius widens his eyes. "You don't have to stay in the barn! You can take my bed! I'll sleep out here."

I almost jump at it, but then think about his offer. Stepping closer I eye him sharply. "What's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"Never mind," I mutter. He must have not thought through his bargain. "Thanks." I scurry up the few steps into the room he pointed to and shut the door. Leaning against it I breathe in and out slowly. How could Grandmother just send me away, before I got to see my father's funeral? Not that I particularly wanted to see him burned, but it just seemed better than being sent away, like I was a bother.

I step forward and look with disgust on the bed and room before me. He certainly isn't a clean man. I kick clothes and books off to the side so that I can get to the bed. Setting my small bag that was hidden under my cloak on the bed, I open it. There are only a few things in it; one is a letter written to my by my father one day when he was away for nearly three weeks. It was a precious coin that was paid to send and receive that letter, but it was worth it. The second is my mother's only pair of shoes, the ones she was going to wear to my wedding, whenever that would have been.

The last thing in my bag is my mother's best dress. She promised me that when I got married I'd get to wear it. I almost don't want to now, since she won't get to see me. I hold it up against me for a moment, just to see what it could look like on me.

Someone knocks on the door. "Adrianna?" It's Uncle Gaius.

Hurriedly I fold the dress up and cram it back into my bag. "Come in."

Uncle Gaius creaks the door open and pokes his head in. "Do you need anything to eat? Any bread?"

Another offer. "What's the catch? I take the bread and you get?"

Uncle Gaius's forehead wrinkles. "The satisfaction of knowing your well fed." Ha. I'm sure.

"That's fine, I don't need anything." When he doesn't move, I try again. "Good _night_, Uncle Gaius."


End file.
